The Power Of Hope

The Power of Hope in These Uncertain Times

Hope versus wishful thinking

Here’s a million dollar question for you:

Do you think it’s going to be cooler tomorrow?

“I certainly hope so” . . . said everyone in Texas.

And, by the way, every other person in every other state facing daily temperatures well over 100 degrees!

Hope – it’s a comforting word, isn’t it?

It’s that wonderful feeling we get when we expect something good to happen.

Is something good happening right now?

You’d have to live under a rock not to see how chaotic things are . . . 

Devastating wildfires

Intense hurricanes

Multiple earthquakes

A huge homelessness problem

Growing depression among adults and teenagers

Constant attacks against God’s design for marriage and family

This is all very disheartening to observe.

So, how do we unleash the power of hope in these uncertain times?

What is our hope going forward?

Or, should I say, “Who?”

The power of hope

The Power of Hope Lies In God’s Promises

The author of Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.”1

This is just a small part of the whole blessed chapter which emphasizes a faith that will endure through anything. We can be encouraged by the examples the author presents of great biblical heroes whose faith sustained them.

Our hope in God’s promises isn’t about a “maybe.”

Dear Christian, the power of hope is so much better than that!

Most people understand hope as wishful thinking, as in “I hope something will happen.” This is not what the Bible means by hope. The biblical definition of hope is “confident expectation.” Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown (Romans 8:24-25; Hebrews 11:1, 7). – gotquestions.org 2

With confident expectation, we can look to the future, even in these uncertain times, and say “Amen.”

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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 Quotation from gotquestions.org, from “What is the Christian’s hope?” n.d., para. 1. Web. Accessed August 31, 2023. https://www.gotquestions.org/hope-Bible.html

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Who Is God?

Many Will Ask: Who is God?

Who is God?

Are God and Jesus the same person?

To delight in God, we must first know who He is.

For the answer to that, we turn to His Word.

He reveals Himself in Scripture this way:

God the Father

God the Son

God the Holy Spirit

Matthew 28

This truth forms one of the essential foundations of our faith: We serve a triune God – that is, God in three persons.

Granted, the blessed mystery of the Trinity is hard to understand at times.

I’m humbly raising my hand here.

Pastor John MacArthur wrote, “the doctrine of the Trinity stands as a perpetual reminder that we cannot comprehend everything God has revealed about Himself.” (Pastor John MacArthur, March 4, 2020)1

There’s a reason for that.

All that I can write about God, when compared to the totality of His attributes, is like one grain of sand compared to every beach, every mountain, and every planet in the universe. In order to comprehend God, we would need to be God’s intellectual equals, but He has no equals and doesn’t tolerate the impudent pretense of anyone who claims to understand things better than He does (Job 40:6–41:34). – Pastor John MAcArthur, pastor and bible teacher from Grace To You.2

Even though we deserve eternal punishment for our wickedness, nothing about you and me is a surprise to God.

He is faithful – making a way for us to receive salvation through His Son.

What a beautiful example of His indescribable grace and love that should humble us every single day.

Therefore, we delight in Him not only for His faithfulness, but for Who He is.

God is the Source of all things and we are His created ones.

Who is God?

As our Righteous Judge, He punishes sin, but by His grace and mercy, He will also forgive repentant hearts.

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Heavenly Father, thank You for Who You are.

No matter what comes our way – whether rich blessings

or humbling trials – we thank You.

The single, greatest act of worship you can render to God is to thank Him. It’s the epitome of worship because through gratitude, we affirm God as the ultimate source of both trial and blessing—and acknowledge our humble acceptance of both. –Pastor John MacArthur, pastor and bible teacher from Grace To You.3

God The Son

Jesus!

It is our imperfection that brought Him here, and it is our weaknesses that will bring Him back to save us from our sins.

Lord, thank You for Your grace and

for sending us Your Son, Jesus.

Through Him, and by His death and resurrection,

You saved a wretch like me (and you who are reading this!)

With a thankful heart, we can recognize that, through Jesus, we are reconciled to the very One Who gave us life in our mothers’ wombs.

Only God could know what it would take to make a sinner acceptable to Him so that that sinner could escape eternal hell and live in the very presence of God in His own house. Only God could determine how the spiritual nature and the supreme authority and the unchangeable perfection of His law which is holy, just and good could be completely satisfied and the lawbreaker completely justified and rightly and purely forgiven and accepted, though fallen, guilty and depraved. Only God could bring all of those components to reconciliation. Only God knew what it would take. – Pastor John MacArthur, pastor and bible teacher from Grace To You.4

The Holy Spirit – A Distinct Member of the Trinity

What is the role of the Holy Spirit?

Pastor Alistair Begg writes this, “Enabling us to bow to Scripture’s authority and not man’s, the Holy Spirit plays the central role in the conversion of unbelievers. Being theologically accurate is of no assistance if the Holy Spirit does not live inside us.” (Pastor Alistair Begg, August 23, 2018)5

In John 14:26, Jesus comforted the disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit’s coming.

John 14:26

Thank You, Lord, for Your gift of the Holy Spirit –

our Comforter, Intercessor, Counselor, and

a divine and distinct member

of the blessed Trinity.

Heavenly Father, it is with gratitude,

that our hearts remain focused on You.

May we wake up every day praising Your Name.

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1-2 John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/sermons-library. “God Is a Trinity.” para. 10, March 4, 2020. Web. Accessed 22 August, 2023. Retrieved from God Is a Trinity.

3 John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/sermons-library. “God Wants you to Give Thanks, Part 1.” para. 4, March 4, 2020. Web. Accessed 22 August, 2023. Retrieved from Give Thanks.

4 John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/sermons-library. “Fifteen Words of Hope.” para. 16, April 23, 1995. Web. Accessed 16 August, 2023. Retrieved from Words of Hope.

5 Alistair Begg quotation, Christian pastor, author, and founder of  Truth For Life Teaching Ministry. “Sermons on the Holy Spirit.” para. 2, August 23, 2018. Web. Accessed 28 August, 2023. Retrieved from the Holy Spirit.

6 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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Paw Prints On Our Hearts

Paw Prints On Our Hearts

Sometimes blog posts are hard to write.

This will be one of those.

A few days ago, we had to say goodbye to our beautiful Siberian Husky, Ellie.

Pawprints on our hearts

Every husky we’ve ever owned becomes a cherished family member.

And, when we’ve had to say goodbye to one, our hearts break into a million pieces.

Paw prints on our hearts that last forever.

A Day of Heartbreak

On Wednesday, we could tell something was wrong.

We had leashed both of our huskies, ready as usual to go for their morning walk. Usually at that time, Ellie is fussing at us.

Let’s go! Let’s go, people!

She could be quite exuberant at 6 a.m. in the morning.

Except that day, she wasn’t.

We walked a few paces and were alarmed at her demeanor.

Something was seriously wrong.

Our vet got us in that very same day. He took one look and, after some tests, told us to get her to the ER – NOW.

The ER vet performed X-Rays and other tests, and then we got the worst news.

A large tumor had developed quickly on her spleen. Ellie was severely bleeding on the inside and dangerously anemic.

The vet said she wouldn’t even last the night.

Through many tears, my husband and I sat on the floor with our girl, held and comforted her.

She knew we were there.

As the last shot took hold, her body relaxed in peace, and she went home.

Thank you God, for bringing her into our lives.

Paw Prints on our Hearts: A Tribute to Ellie

Like all of our huskies, we loved Ellie to a fault and were honored to give her a little piece of heaven at our house.

Even though all Sibes are beautiful, Ellie was an actual former beauty queen.

Our beauty queen

She came to us as a retired 7-year-old, after several years spent in the show ring.

It was here at our house though, that she realized she could just be a dog.

As our longtime vet liked to joke, “It’s a husky Shangri-La at your house!”

We have so many happy and hilarious memories of her (an endearing husky trait).

Memories to Last a Lifetime

One of our favorite Ellie memories was when we first got her.

She realized she wasn’t just visiting our house, but she had found her forever home.

My husband and I were sitting on the couch while she was sniffing around and exploring her new digs.

We watched as the realization finally hit her.

I get to stay here!!

She literally ran and jumped in between us on the couch – all 40 pounds of her!

We will miss that precious smile on her face every day as she romped around in our backyard and chased the cicadas on our oak tree.

I will miss her sneaking into my office every morning for an extra treat – our little secret.

Not one for subtlety, here she is reminding us it’s dinner time.

It's dinner time!

I will miss her play fighting with our male husky.

“Okay you two, break it up!”

He looks for her now . . . but she isn’t there.

We are forever grateful to God for letting us care for this magnificent creature on earth – from His blessed gallery of the extraordinary.

Her brilliant smile

If love were enough,

Ellie, you would have lived forever.

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Another Great Sunrise Coming

Another Great Sunrise Coming: The Light of the World

Not that long ago, I woke up to this . . .Another great sunriseAnother great sunrise that took my breath away.

How much the Father loves us!

Reflecting on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Ireland, one of the founders of the Institute for Creation Research, the late Dr. Henry M. Morris once said, “God has graciously clothed the lands of all His creation (not just Ireland) with beautiful, eye-soothing, green grass and trees. Think how eye-jarring it would be if all the world were clothed in purple or orange!”(Henry M. Morriss, PH.D quote, March 17, 2005)1 

How much God desires to have communion with each one of us.

Will we answer that call?

There’s another great sunrise coming: The Light of the World – Jesus!

The following verse in the meme below comes from the Book of Zephaniah and was specifically directed to Israel.  At the time of this writing, Israel was under the rule of King Josiah in the 7th century B.C. 

The prophet Zephaniah minced no words – both warning the people of God’s judgment on the wicked and, at the same time, encouraging the righteous that God will bless them for their faithfulness.

The prophet’s words of assurance serves as a timeless reminder of the loving and righteous character of our omnipresent God.

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord our God is with His people, no matter where we are right now (and at this very moment) in this great big world of ours.

Another Great Sunrise Coming: The Wonder All Around Us

Bestselling Christian author, Susie Larson, published a post recently that I wanted to share.

I love her perspective here . . .

Yes, every good gift indeed comes from above, from the heart of a Father who loves us. We overlook so much of the immeasurable kindness of our Father. Every good and beautiful thing comes from His hand. Our lives would be so much richer if we slowed down long enough to notice the wonder all around us. – Author Susie Larson.2

Let’s slow down, dear child of God.

There is another great sunrise coming, as promised in the last chapter of the Old Testament. “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:2). He who is Himself “the light of the world” (John 8:12) will someday even replace the sun in the new Jerusalem. There will never be another sunrise after that, for “there shall be no night there . . . neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light” (Revelation 22:5). – Henry M. Morriss, PH.D, christian apologist.3

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1 Quotation courtesy of The Institute For Creation Research. By Dr. Henry Madison Morriss, PH.D. From “Green Pastures” (St. Patrick’s Day), March 17, 2005. para. 4. Web. Accessed 7th August, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.icr.org/article/green-pastures

2 Bestselling Christian author, Susie Larson, quotation. Excerpt from and courtesy of susielarson.com, “Is Feeling Good the Same as Feeling God.” From Susie’s book, “Closer Than Your Next Breath.”

3 Quotation courtesy of The Institute For Creation Research. By Dr. Henry Madison Morriss, PH.D. From “The dayspring From On High”, December 24, 2002. para. 5. Web. Accessed 2 August, 2023. Retrieved from  https://www.icr.org/article/18727

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Song To Brighten Your Day

A Song (or Two) To Brighten Your Day

It’s no secret that I love music, especially Christian music.

In fact, I have so many favorite songs that it’s hard to list them all!

Theologian Martin Luther once said, “Music is one of the fairest and most glorious gifts of God.”(Martin Luther quote, n.d.)1     

It is indeed.

Music can make you happy, lift your spirits, and turn your frown upside down.

Do you need a smile and some soul-stirring today, a song or two to brighten your day?

Check out the Imani Milele Choir from Uganda, Africa.

In this video, they sing a cover of the classic, “O Happy Day” originally performed by the Edwin Hawkins Singers.

You might want to crank up your sound on this one!

A Joyful Song to Brighten Your Day 

No matter what is going on in your life, friends – let your heart sing!

We serve a God who sees everything, knows everything, and hears everything.

He is with you and me and nothing and no one can ever take that away.

I love this verse in Psalm 95.

Whether it’s in your shower or congregational singing in church, we have a blessed reason to sing for joy to the Lord.

He sent us His Son to die for us so that we can have eternal life.

Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord,
Let’s shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. – Psalm 95:1, (NASB).2

With great excitement, I present to you the Imani Milele Choir singing their engaging cover of “Joyful, Joyful.”

Have a blessed day!

The Lord is in this place.

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1 Martin Luther quotation. From AZquotes.com., Martin Luther (1818). “The familiar discourses of dr. Martin Luther, tr. by H. Bell”, p.428. Accessed  July 25, 2023. Web. Retrieved July 21, 2023.

2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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